In 2006, the D.C. Office of Human Rights issued a regulation that prohibited single occupancy public restrooms from being labeled as gender specific. The policy was intended to prevent discrimination against transgender men and women.

Although the rule has been on the books for seven years now it hasn’t really been enforced. But, according to WBJ, that could all change soon. Public places that do not change their signs will now be slapped with a Class 3 civil infraction, possibly resulting in a $500 fine.

The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ Construction Codes Coordinating Board, the agency that will administer these fines, however, said the enforcement will still be more educational, likely a warning rather than “the strict issuing of fines.” The agency says it hasn't heard any objection to its stricter enforcement.

The Office of Human Rights pushed for the change following the release of a study that showed that “transgender people experienced significant problems with public bathroom facilities.”